Hogwarts 2021
by lovelynoise
Summary: Harry Potter Next Gen. New students, new adventures ... but Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.
1. Freddie

Freddie was sitting reading a book in the common room when someone burst through the door. He was planning on giving the person a nod and then return to the essay on breeding thestrals but when he met the eyes of the very loud someone, he knew that the somewhat morbid horses had to wait.

"What's up, cousin?" he asked James, whose quidditch robes were muddy and wet. "How was practice?"

"A complete fiasco!" James burst out and ripped off his armpads. "Where is your sister at?"

"Not at practice, I presume", Freddie said.

"No! This is the second time this month she didn't show. And afterwards she refuses to talk to me about it!" James shooed away a first year from the armchair opposite Freddie and collapsed. "What is she doing?"

"You're her BFF, not me", Freddie reminded him.

"Yeah, but you two are twins. Aren't you supposed to share each other's thoughts or something?" James looked at a sandwich laying on the table. "Is that yours?" He had finished half the sandwich before Freddie even had a chance to answer.

"What kind of muggle movies is granddad making you watch?" Ever since Arthur Weasley had discovered the DVD player, he'd been forcing his grandchildren to watch all sorts of TV shows and movies with him. Freddie was still a bit shaky after having to sit through an entire season of Bachelorette the other week. "Just cause we're twins doesn't mean we're psychic, you know."

"You should be", James smiled. "That would have been so cool."

"Yeah, right", Freddie said. "Having to hear her thoughts all day. There'd be nothing but Quidditch terms and ideas on how to turn Filch into a dog and make him chase after Mrs. Norris II."

"We would never do that." James sounded offended. "He's so old he'd just role up in front of the fire and sleep anyway."

"How they made you captain of the team, I wonder." Freddie rolled his eyes.

"According to professor Davies, I 'have potential'", James said and made quotation marks in the air. "But all I know right now, is that I have the potential of kicking dear little Ro off the team if she doesn't show up soon."

"Speaking of team, where's the rest of our relatives?" Freddie asked.

"They're still practicing. Hugo's a bit stiff in his arm after getting bitten by that hippogriff the other week, so I made him do some more rounds with the quaffle."

"Tough love."

"It's the only way to go", James said and got up from the armchair. "But seriously, tell Roxy I wanna talk to her if you see her, okay? I'm heading for the showers."

Ten seconds after he'd left the common room, the dark freckled face of Freddie's sister showed up through the entrance, and soon after that, the rest of her. She was wearing high heels and lipstick. He'd never seen her in anything but sneakers and scrunchies before.

"Not. A. Word", she hissed and disappeared into the girl's dorm.

"Oookay", Freddie said and returned to his family-drama-free book of thestrals.


	2. Rose

"Your cousin wants to speak with you."

Rose looked up from the book she was reading with a sigh – she hated being interrupted.

"Which one of them?" she asked. Wasn't moving away from home a way of getting some privacy?

"Albus", Nelly Corner said and went back to her homework.

"Right", Rose said and got up from the armchair. She went out through the door where Al was waiting.

"Hi, Al. What's up?"

Al gave her a smile she recognized but too well and held out a piece of parchment.

"You promised you'd help me", he said.

"Right", she said and looked at the assignment. Gnarlpuffs. Professor Longbottom had given them this assignment weeks ago. "When's it due?"

Al smiled again. "Tomorrow … But I've been really busy, and I totally forgot about it."

"Ever heard of writing stuff down?" she said. "Fine, I'll just get my things and we can go to the library."

"I owe you one", Al said when Rose came back with her bag.

"Actually, you owe me about a hundred, but never mind. The things you do for family", Rose said and rolled her eyes. "Speaking of family", she continued. "Have you spoken to Hugo recently? I got a letter from Mum saying he's been slipping in grades."

"James's making them practice almost every day, I think", Al said. "He's really into this whole captain of the team-thing. Plus he made a bet with Noel Belby that they'd win against the Slytherins."

"I really don't get what the fuzz's all about", Rose said. "It's just a game."

"Don't say that when they're listening", Al said with a laugh. "You'll probably be disowned."

Rose rolled her eyes again as they entered the library. It wasn't very full, people were probably out by the lake to enjoy the sun. A few seventh graders sat in the back studying for their NEWTS.

"We don't wanna sit too close, maybe we'll disturb them."

"The horror", Al said.

"Oh, shut it", she said and slapped him with her bag. A loud bang echoed in the room.

"Aoch, what do you have in there?" he asked and rubbed his arm. "Rocks?"

"No", said Rose and pulled out a chair to sit on. "Just books and parchment and stuff."

"Right", said Al and joined her by the table.

"Okay", said Rose. "So have you looked anything up on the Gnarlpuffs? You can use my notes if you want, I have them in here", she said and looked into her bag.

"You're a life saver."

"I know. Okay, so you read them through, and then we can start on the essay."

Al nodded with a sigh. "I don't understand why Neville can't go easy on us. I mean, he and Dad and everyone were practically best mates, right? Risking their lives together and everything. You'd think that at least would get us out of homework."

"I thought this assignment was quite fun to do, actually", said Rose.

Al raised his eyebrows. "There's a reason after all why you're in Ravenclaw. Uncle Ron's still giving you a hard time about that?"

"I don't think he'll ever forgive me, actually."

"Sorry", said a soft voice. "This seat's taken? I didn't wanna disturb them over there."

Rose looked over her shoulder. The blonde boy had his arms full and looked like he was about to drop the books any second. "No, it's fine", she said.

"Thanks, Weasley", the boy said with a smile.

"Don't make it a habit, though, Malfoy. We're supposed to be rivals, remember?"

"I remember", Scorpius smiled again. "Especially how I beat you in Potions yesterday."

"Lucky shot", said Rose.

"Pure skills", he said and put down the books.

"You cheated. I saw you glancing over at my desk."

"Only because I find the way your hair behave in the heat and the fume fascinating."

"Is that so?" Rose said.

They stared at each other, neither one willing to give up. Then Scorpius bent down and placed his lips on hers. She closed her eyes by old habit and then pulled him closer.

"Trying to study here", said Al with his eyes still focused on Rose's notes.

"Sorry, Al", said Scorpius and pulled away from her. He sat down and started fiddling with her fingers. "I just couldn't help myself."

"Okay, I'm officially grossed out", Al said. "Anyways, I'm done with the notes. Why don't you two intelligent people do something useful, like help me write my essay?"

Rose looked at Scorpius smirking grey eyes and then at Al's pleading green ones.

"You're on your own", she said. "Come on", she said and grabbed Scorpius's hand. "Let's see if the Prefect bathroom is empty."


	3. Lily

"Lily?"

Lily looked up from her Standard Book of Spells to her cousin, who had collapsed on the sofa, scaring off some second graders. "Yes?" she answered.

"I'm _bored_", the bulky 14-year-old said.

"You can't be serious", Lily said and put the book on the table, glad for any excuse not to read it, even though the chapter was due the day after. She liked Charms, but she didn't like _reading _about them. "We just came back from a three-hour long practice. Jamie practically emptied our energy resources – you, even more so, since you're injured", she said and pointed at his arm, which was still bandaged.

"That old thing's more or less healed by now", Hugo said and rolled his eyes. "Hippogriffs aren't as bad as they look."

"Yeah, right. If you'd been a muggle, they would've had to stitch the arm back on."

"Pfft", he said, but he looked a little green. "Anyway, I was thinking we should do something."

"Like what?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Somethin'."

Now it was her time with the eye rolling. "Spectacular plan. Something like what? The dungeons? The Restricted Section in the Library? The Forbidden Forest?"

Hugo made a face. "I was thinking something more along the lines of the kitchen, actually. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"Hence we should hit the kitchen. The elves love me."

"They love anyone clever enough to compliment their cooking. I dunno, though. We really need to read those pages for tomorrow."

Hugo smiled widely. "Then why don't you read them, and then you'll let me in on the good parts."

She threw a pen at him, hitting him straight in the head. She wasn't chaser on the Gryffindor team for nothing. "I think you've mistaken me for your sister. Rose's the relative to go to when in need of scholastic aid."

"True", he said. "Though, she seems more keen on helping Al than me."

"Maybe cause he has the decency to say thank you once in a while."

"Pfft", he said once more, and then rolled over on his stomach to face the other side of the room, where some other fourth graders were sitting, attempting to study. "Tristan! Abbie! You wanna make a raid to the kitchen?"

Tristan Thomas smiled a wide grin. "I thought you'd never ask", the tall boy said.

Abigail Longbottom, a round-cheeked girl with her hair in a messy bun pushed her books into a bag and headed towards the door. "Let's go before the seventh graders get all the good stuff." She was followed by the boys.

"After you", Tristan said, but Abbie waved him through.

"You coming, Lils?" she asked, halfway through the portrait hole.

Lily looked once more at the book in front of her, and then got up from the chair. She could always skim through the pages before they went to bed. "Of course. Someone's gotta make sure there'll still be something left for breakfast tomorrow, right?


	4. Roxy

Roxanne had the heels off before she even hit the stairs and with the shoes in one hand, she wiped off the remains of lipstick with the back of the other. How could she have been so stupid? How could she ever have thought … oh, Merlin. No one could ever know about this. Not ever.

When she finally came into the dorm, she ignored the other girls and their questions and pulled the drapes around her bed. She just wanted to forget about the whole horrible mistake forever.

However, it was rather hard to forget someone sticking their tongue down your throat – especially if you'd wanted their tongue down your throat since the day you were both sorted into your houses.

She probably should have known from the way he got her out on a date in the first place: her trying to stop him and some other Slytherins from bullying the most unfortunately named kid at Hogwarts (and that was saying something).

"Elllie … Ellie, aren't you gonna tell us what your name stands for?" the dark skinned boy had wanted to know.

"Yeah, come on, Ellie, we wanna know", some of his friends teased. She recognized them from the Slytherin Quidditch team – Montague, Bulstrode and McLaggen. _He, _however, was not on their Quidditch team. Probably a good thing, since he was one of the few things that made her lose focus.

Ellie Fisher, an androgynous Hufflepuff girl who no one ever really had heard speak, was in the cliché situation with all her books and things on the floor, and herself trying to gather them up.

Alatar Zabini bent down on his knees and gave one of the books to the girl, along with one of his infamously gorgeous dark gazes. "Ellie ...", he said in a low voice. Roxanne had slowed down when she saw him look at the other girl, and now, hearing him, she stopped completely. She sighed, even though she wasn't a sigher. Her heart thumped, even though her heart mostly kept a steady beat.

"Ellie", he said again. "Won't you tell me? Please", he added. "I just want to hear you say it."

The poor girl was red as a beet and shaking like a leaf. Not a good combo. She shook her head in a twitchy way, making her look, if possible, even more out of place.

Montague, who probably was more closely related to gorillas than humans, burst out laughing. "Oh, why not, _Elvendork_?"

Alatar got up and joined his friends in their laughter. For some reason she excused his behaviour, but she couldn't ignore the rest of them. "Hey, cut it out! Leave her alone", she said. Ellie gave her a look mixed with relief and resignation.

Alatar stopped laughing and got a surprised look on his face. "Look, if it isn't a brave Gryffindor coming to the rescue."

"Whatever. Just stop it, okay?"

He took a few steps closer. Ellie sneaked away when everyone was focusing on Roxanne. "You know what, maybe I will", he said. "You are lush enough for me to disregard your housing flaw."

Roxanne was thankful her complexion was dark enough to keep her blushing from showing. "I'm not sure if I should say thank you or bugger off."

He came even closer. "How about you say neither, but instead accept to go on a date with me?"

She crossed her arms, trying to look distant, but really it was to keep herself from trembling. "Oh, yeah, and why's that, Zabini?"

"Cause I want it, Weasley", he smiled slowly. "And cause I promise to leave your little Hufflepuff friend alone if you do."

She raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Deal. For her sake", she had said and walked away without as much as looking back. Inside though, she'd been one big mess of feelings, more or less entirely positive.

Now, sitting on her bed with her arms around her knees, she was once more a big mess of feelings, but this time they were more or less entirely negative. He wasn't better than his friends. Maybe not even as good as his friends (McLaggen could actually be half-decent, at least when they weren't on the Quidditch field).

Alatar definitely wasn't a good kisser, that was for sure. It was as if he had been practicing spells. And he'd made plenty of remarks on muggle borns and girls and world-views that were plain horrid. However, it was a different comment completely that had made her see him for what he truly was.

She'd stopped him, pulling away a bit, looking out over the lake. The wind had been a bit chilly, and while snogging, she'd been thinking she should have brought a jacket. "Can't we slow down a bit?" she asked.

"Sure", he said and shrugged. "Not sure what it's gonna be good for. I mean, we both know where it's gonna lead."

She raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, and where's that?"

He smiled. "Oh, come on. Like you don't want it? I'm not blind, you know, and I've seen the way you look at me. Well, most girls look at me like that, but your gaze has something special to it."

She smiled, appeased. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. I mean, I can just tell that you're always ready for a shag."

She coughed. "Sorry?" She must've heard him wrong.

"Don't be so shy", he said and snuck his arm around her, his hand a bit too low for comfort. She shook him off.

"I think you've got the wrong impression of me", she said in a cold voice.

"Aw, don't be like that. It's nothin' to be ashamed about."

"I'm not ashamed", she lied ( she was, but for completely different reasons). "And you're wrong."

"Am I?" he said, his charming tone gone now. "You're not taking after your aunt, then?"

"What'd you mean?" she asked.

"Ginny Potter. My dad told me she was the school's biggest hussy when they went here. Switching guys like underwear and all that."

She'd smacked him right across the face right then and there, and given all the practice James had made them do, it wasn't a girly punch either. Alatar, however, screamed like a girl.

"Bitch! What'd you do that for!"

She'd got up on her feet. "You know what? I think uncle Ron was right, after all. Never trust a Slytherin." (She'd ignored the fact that a fair amount of this generation of Weasleys was in that particular house.) And she'd walked away.

And now, there she was, disappointed, heartbroken and with a beginning cold. But worst of all – she'd actually missed Quidditch practice for that.


End file.
